Episode 184: True Despair
The conference room fell silent. No one could utter a word.
『What’s wrong? If possible, I’d like to speak with Mitaka Yuma directly.』
An utterly impossible request. Everyone present understood this, so naturally, all eyes turned to Iwaki. Noticing this, Iwaki reluctantly opened his mouth.
“W-Well… um…”
『Is something the matter?』
On the other side of the monitor, Ethan looked dubious.
“Mitaka Yuma… he passed away due to his injuries. We did our best to treat him, but…”
As Iwaki’s words were translated, the IDR researchers showed expressions of surprise.
『Is that true!? Mitaka Yuma is dead?』
“Y-Yes. There’s no mistake. It was truly sudden…”
Ethan thoughtfully placed a hand on his chin. After considering for a while, he gripped the microphone again.
『When did he die?』
“Eh? Uh, I believe it was in the early hours of this morning.”
Hearing that, Ethan put down the microphone and exchanged words with the IDR researchers. After about a minute of conversation, he picked up the microphone once more.
『It’s likely that the Red King changed its course because Mitaka Yuma died.』
“Eh!? What do you mean?”
Iwaki was flustered, his eyes wide.
『There are reports that the Four Kings, who have appeared in various parts of the world, are releasing their comrades from dungeons of the same type and creating their own habitats in separate locations. This is probably to prevent the monsters from fighting each other.』
Yasugi, who had been listening silently, couldn’t believe his ears. It was exactly the same thing Aisha had said earlier.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, furrowing his brow as he glared at the monitor.
–Could it be… that woman was right?
『The Red King was also trying to come to the Red Dungeon in Japan to increase its numbers. However, Mitaka Yuma, who possessed the power of the Black King, was there. The Red King likely avoided Japan to avoid a fight.』
“So, then…”
Iwaki looked at the monitor with pleading eyes.
『Yes, the Red King probably returned because Mitaka Yuma died. My guess is that the Red King will make East Asia its habitat and settle in this entire area.』
Iwaki was speechless. That kind of monster settling around Japan? If that happened, how many humans could survive…?
Static began to mix into the monitor. Maya took the microphone, replacing Ethan.
『It seems the communication is reaching its limit. This is very unfortunate… Mitaka Yuma was humanity’s last hope, but… we can’t… anymore…』
“Wait! Are there any other countermeasures!? Is there anything, anything at all?”
Iwaki desperately pleaded, but Maya in the screen closed her eyes and shook her head.
『It’s truly… regrettable…』
The image suddenly disappeared. In front of the monitor that no longer displayed anything, the conference participants were speechless, standing frozen.
Iwaki was in a daze. Various words raced through his mind.
Mitaka Yuma was the Black King? Humanity’s hope? That’s ridiculous. He was just a dangerous existence who stirred up the country. That’s what he should have been.
Why, why did it turn out like this? Why…?
As Iwaki looked around, his eyes stopped on Hatano, who was standing behind him.
Before he could think, his legs moved. He rushed to Hatano and grabbed his collar.
“You! You’re the one who said the Black Armor should be disposed of! Because of that, Japan is in dire straits! What are you going to do!?”
As he tightened his grip on the collar, Hatano’s face contorted in agony.
“P-Please wait! I was just responding to the Prime Minister’s request. Wasn’t it the Prime Minister himself who decided to dispose of the Black Armor…?”
Iwaki was at a loss for words, countered by Hatano. “Damn it!” he said, releasing his grip, and Hatano coughed painfully.
Iwaki, with a vacant expression, tried to return to his seat.
Seeing the Prime Minister’s flustered appearance, everyone felt even more anxious. However, Defense Minister Takakura understood what he had to do.
“Prime Minister, we will have the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s escort ships stand by offshore to intercept the Red King. I request that you also ask the U.S. Forces in Japan for support!”
The supreme commander of the Self-Defense Forces was not Takakura, but Prime Minister Iwaki. No matter how demoralized he was, his permission was required.
Iwaki said weakly, “Ah… do as you like.”
Takakura gave instructions to the officials who were waiting and immediately began preparations. He didn’t believe that they could defeat the monster that Russia and China couldn’t stop.
However, he couldn’t just wait for death without doing anything.
That afternoon, Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels and submarines were deployed off the Pacific coast. The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, along with destroyers and cruisers, also departed from the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka.
The maximum possible force was assembled. They had to buy as much time as possible and evacuate the people in the Kanto region. Takakura sighed softly as he gave instructions in the conference room.
“I wonder how much meaning this will have…”
Takakura’s expression was pained, but he shook his head and carried out his duties.
◇◇◇
The next day —
Prime Minister Iwaki, Defense Minister Takakura, and other government officials gathered in the main hall of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Everyone had a dark expression. Hardly anyone spoke of bravely winning this battle. Still, Takakura resolved to do what he had to do.
Ignoring Iwaki, who was sitting dejectedly, he gave detailed instructions to his subordinates.
“Have there been any reports from the ships?”
When Takakura asked, Serizawa shook his head.
“No, we can’t communicate at all because the satellites are currently unavailable. However, considering the dragons’ speed, they should make contact in about an hour.”
An hour… Is that all the time we have left?
They were proceeding with the evacuation of residents, but honestly, he didn’t know where to evacuate them to. If the Red King came, it wouldn’t be surprising if the entire country of Japan turned into a sea of fire.
“Can’t we get in touch with Mikoshiba either?”
“No, unfortunately…”
Takakura was concerned that the Self-Defense Forces had taken Mitaka Yuma’s body away. He wondered if Mitaka Yuma might still be alive, but reports indicated that he had been administered a sufficient amount of poison and was certainly dead.
If that was the case, he couldn’t expect a miracle.
“Video using the communication line, coming in!”
At the staff member’s voice, Takakura turned his attention. The eyes of the participants gathered on the large screen installed in the main hall.
A fixed-point camera, connected via fiber optic cable, was showing the coastline.
Only a calm horizon was visible. The ships were quite far offshore, so their silhouettes could not be captured.
The politicians and experts attending the conference could only stare at the video.
Evacuation information for northern Kanto was being reported at any time, and an evacuation advisory had been issued for Tokyo. Takakura hoped to disperse the population as much as possible, but —
“T-The sea!!”
At the staff member’s voice, everyone’s eyes were focused on the monitor.
The sea on the horizon was shining. The light spread around, changing to a red, burning color.
A shock wave followed, and the monitor screen shook violently. A large mushroom-shaped cloud rose into the sky.
“Ah…”
Prime Minister Iwaki, who had been sitting listlessly, stood up abruptly and stared at the monitor. As if he was finally facing the unavoidable reality.
“The satellite is coming into orbit!”
Hearing the staff member’s voice, Takakura instructed, “Contact the ships immediately!”
But there was no response from the ships. Communication with the U.S. fleet was also cut off. At that moment, everyone understood without a doubt.
That true despair had begun —